thelastangelfandomcom-20200214-history
Timeline
Source (http://forums.spacebattles.com/threads/the-last-angel.244209/page-132#post-17182885) All dates given are in ACF (After Compact Founding) “The Triarch races are wise and noble and though they were born of different worlds, they are brothers and sisters by bonds stronger than blood. They saved us. It was our honour to stand next to giants such as they and help them achieve their vision.” '' 0000 – the Compact is founded by three races, the Sandara, the Thricin and the Harrom-el; the First Age of Expansion occurs 0079 – faint transmissions indicating other technologically developed species are detected by Compact scouts, but no indication of the civilizations themselves is found. These races are collectively referred to as the Bren-sa or ‘Nameless’. 0111 – the Bren-sa Graveyard, a debris field created by the destruction of several asteroid ships, is discovered. Investigation of the wreckage is abandoned due to the number of booby-traps left behind. The identity of the attackers remains unknown. 0126 – the Dead Marches, an expanse of uninhabited systems believed to be the destination of the Bren-sa asteroid ships, is colonized by the Compact. Officially, the sector is renamed ‘Hikkaran Fields’. 144 – reports of unidentified vessels increase in and around the Dead Marches. 173 – assigned to investigate the increasing number of disappearances and unusual sightings within the Marches, Patrol Formation 778 are themselves lost without a trace 0191 – the first official contact is made with the first non-Compact sapient species. This polity becomes known as the Anorax Nation. Hostilities occur immediately. 0194 – yet another attempt is made to establish communication with Anorax forces. It fails. 0217 – after the Falijan Exterminations, the Compact is finally forced to accept that the Anorax are unable to recognize other sapient species as such 0221 – Anorax forces destroy 83% of the population in the Dead Marches and move to invade several nearby sectors 0236 – in the largest battle of the war to date, 707 Anorax ships and over a thousand Compact vessels are lost in what becomes known as the Black Hole of Rejicar. The Anorax Nation is forced onto the defensive for the first time in the conflict 0260 (1) – the Compact Space Force advances on the remaining Anorax hive worlds. The Anorax fight to the last, refusing to surrender. All attempts at establishing footholds on Anorax worlds end in disaster. 0260 (2) – Resolution 6991 is presented to the Compact Council. It is rejected. 0261 – over fifteen hundred vessels are lost in breaking the Anorax lines, but the Space Force establishes orbital dominance over the Anorax homeworld. The Compact forces make increasingly desperate attempts to establish some form of dialogue. Resolution 6991 is again presented to the Council. 0262 (1) – after seven months of deliberation and repeated assaults against the Space Force siege fleets, Resolution 6991 is passed; the use of genocidal attacks against all Anorax worlds and holdings is authorized. 0265 – the Anorax species is officially confirmed as extinct; the Compact decrees that the Anorax homeworld will forever be a memorial. The Anorax Lesson is written into Compact law, forbidding the use of species death and compelling the Compact to intervene in any conflict where genocide is occurring or intended. 0457 – what would later be known as Naiad songs are recorded for the first time; attempts to locate the source of these transmissions prove fruitless 0838 – contact with the Valthus is established; the species is riven by a civil war involving trans-organic separatists. Repeated attempts to negotiate a settlement break down. 0842 – the Valthus Separation escalates. Both factions begin planning extermination attacks on the other; the Anorax Lesson compels the Compact to move from mediation to aggressive action 0843 (1) – arriving just before a pitched battle between the two main Valthus fleets, a Compact task force compels both sides to stand down or be destroyed. 0843 (2) – the Compact at last brokers a truce between the Valthus and their trans-organic separatists; the former become a client race of the Compact. The latter choose to build ‘ark fleets’ for travel to the Magellanic clouds. 0844 – using the Valthus separatists’ research, the Thricin begin to look into trans-organic development 0915 – the Gheron Imperium’s attempt to exterminate the Algassi hits a snag when the Gheron extermination fleet finds a Compact armada waiting for them 0919 – the disarmament of the Gheron Imperium is complete. Several high-ranking Gheron government and military official commit suicide rather than submit to ‘alien invaders’ and become martyrs: ‘the Unsigned’. 0920 – on the anniversary of their capitulation, a wave of terror attacks sweeps across the Gheron homeworld Tithrak, targeting Compact personnel and ‘collaborators’. Over sixty-seven thousand people are killed in the first hours of the uprising. ~ “Every fall can be traced back to one instant, one thought. That moment of pride and arrogance when they convinced themselves that they knew what was best. 1000 – the Second Age of Expansion begins; the Compact’s territory begins to extend throughout the galactic arm. 1024 – cybernetic implants become increasingly commonplace in Thricin society 1043 – the Night of Red Knives; another coordinated uprising on the Gheron homeworld results in the deaths of thousands of Compact personnel; military intervention is required to suppress the insurgency 1078 – the Compact enters the Savage Expanse; a 6-year campaign begins to destroy or capture all pirate forces in the region. 1084 – the Savage Expanse is purged of all raiders and enters an economic renaissance 1134 – te belief in trans-organism spreads through the Thricin population. There is increasing disdain for remaining completely organic 1192 – the Algassi population recovers to pre-war levels; there are minor celebrations on Elharun and sporadic riots on Tithrak 1213 – the Disciples of the Night King vow to free Gheron from ‘Compact enslavement’ and restore the Imperium to its rightful glory 1373 – the Thricin are frequently at political odds with the Sandarans and Harrom-el, most notably over the Gheron ‘problem’ 1472 – the first successful Thricin mind upload is complete; infatuation with artificial intelligences and cybernetic modification reaches its zenith. Virtually all members of the species are modified to some extent 1573 – the Thricin reject their ‘organic’ species name and become the Devoured 1664 – friction between the species of the Compact continues to rise as the Devoured show less and less regard for the opinions of their allies 1721(1) – after another failed insurrection, the Gheron are wiped out by Devoured forces. When called to account for this act of genocide, the Devoured refuse to acknowledge any wrongdoing. The Harrom-tel and Sandarans insist that the military officers and government officials responsible be turned over for trial for violation of the Anorax Lesson. The Devoured ignore the demands. 1721(2) – evidence that the Devoured have been secretly building up their navy is brought before the Council. The Devoured representatives refuse to explain themselves to ‘organics’ and the species terminates their membership in the Compact 1722 – a combined Harrom-tel and Sandaran task force launches a pre-emptive strike on Devoured shipwombs; the Devoured retaliate by releasing nanoweapons into the atmosphere of several Compact worlds 1785 – the last remnants of the Devoured are destroyed; the Reign of Two begins 1792 – after the Brakengard Disaster, research into artificial intelligences is heavily regulated 1857 – restrictions on the development of self-aware computers are loosened, but lack of political will slows and stalls study in this field 1945 – a Devoured ‘saviour ship’ is discovered in the Decida Territories, crippled by unknown forces. All the uploaded minds in its databanks are missing. 1954 – Project Wild Breeze, an attempt to reverse engineer the saviour ship’s own AI, fails catastrophically. The fallout from the disaster results in the suppression of all AI research in the Compact for the next century ~ “Every action, no matter how big or small, has a consequence. If you save a man’s life and he goes out and murders another, are you not responsible? What if you were the only one who knew what he would do? Would you let him die? Would you seem a monster to others if the price was an innocent saved? You deny it, but these are the choices we have made since the Compact’s inception. We balance the scales. By what right do you say that our judgements are flawed, when you have made the same?” 2031 – the Third Age of Expansion begins 2183 – Devoured scrapcode infects a Valthus separatist fleet; it cleanses three star systems of all organic life before it is finally destroyed 2200 – restrictions on the development of, and research into, artificial intelligence increase 2235 – the Wasting strikes the Valthus. 2237 – the Wasting is confirmed to be of Valthus separatist origin; calls for the pre-emptive destruction of all ark fleets remaining in the galaxy are voted down 2243 – isolated and quarantined Valthus colonies experience outbreaks of the plague, indicating active efforts to contaminate uninfected populations 2259 – attempts to undo the Wasting continue to fail. It is lysogenic and has become part of the genome of the surviving Valthus population; sporadic epidemics occur as the disease enters pathogenic lytic cycles. Valthus birth rates are close to zero; children are stillborn, mutated or carry the disease themselves. 2261 – despite the Compact’s efforts, 88% of the Valthus population has died and the majority of the survivors are rendered sterile. At least one ark fleet is confirmed attacking uninfected colonies. The bulk of the fleet is destroyed, but many vessels escape. Analysis of the flotilla’s remains indicates Devoured contamination. 2263 – the Compact issues the Edict of Brakengard declaring that all Devoured relics are to be destroyed immediately upon discovery and must not be allowed to be possessed by any star nation or species 2294 – the third major Wasting outbreak occurs; less than a hundred million Valthus remain. Fears of the disease jumping species rise. During the outbreak, many Valthus are killed in riots or by lynch mobs. 2307 – a Thoughtful explorer fleet is encountered in the Tallemic Range 2310 – the Thoughtful join the Compact 2312 – the Thoughtful scientist Ryln’uv finds a way to neutralize the mutability and adaptability of the Wasting. As mass production of the compound begins, his colony is attacked by a surviving splinter of the Valthus ark fleet. There are no survivors. 2451 – the last Valthus within the Compact dies. The Edict of Brakengard is renamed the Valthus Lesson. Research and development of synthetic intelligences is made illegal. 2638 – giving in to pressure from the Harrom-el, the Compact Council adjusts the Anorax Lesson to add an in extremis clause 2792 – the Algassi are re-named the Judiciaries as recognition of their help in creating and streamlining the legal framework for the growing nation 2873 – tensions between the Sandarans and Harrom-el increase 2917 – the fate of a newly-discovered Valthus ark fleet becomes a heated issue in the Compact Council; the fleet has not been compromised by Devoured code and has been following a path towards the Magellanic Clouds. The Harrom-el push for military action, but a compromise is made and an armada is detailed to observe the ark fleet. 2926 – the Valthus ark fleet and its Compact observation flotilla engage one another; the ark fleet and all Valthus aboard are killed. The Sandarans accuse the Harrom-el of provoking the conflict. The Harrom-el claim that the ark fleet was corrupted, insisting that Valthus Lesson was their justification in ordering the ark fleet’s destruction. 2972 – relations between the Harrom-el and Sandarans continue to sour; the latter accuse the former of being too strict and controlling in their relations with ‘lesser’ races and cultures. The Harrom-el continue to insist that all they do, they do for the good of all. 2999 – evidence is brought before the Compact Council that the Devoured corruption in the ark fleet was fabricated and the Sandarans accuse the Harrom-el of mass murder. The Harrom-el claim that the separatists were a threat by their very existence, citing the previous acts of compromised ark fleets. ~ “The lesser races cannot be trusted. This was a lesson we learned too late. They need to be guided, directed, controlled. Only then can peace and security in the galaxy truly reign.” 3003 – the Great Betrayal; Sandaran and Harrom-el forces clash openly. Both sides claim to be fighting for the soul of the Compact. 3014 – the Vamanoa, later known as Tribunes, are inducted into the Compact; they side with the Harrom-el in the civil war and their large military is the deciding factor in the conflict 3019 – the Betrayers are destroyed; the last of the Triarchs rule unopposed; the Fourth Age of Expansion begins 3020 – the Watchers join the ruling races of the Compact 3027 – the Askanj Principality is encountered; the Askanj-''anj'' refuse to join the Compact, leading to a cold war between the two powers 3033 – the Anorax homeworld is purged of all traces of its former inhabitants and the memorials and re-colonized; the Anorax Lesson is removed entirely from the Articles of the Compact 3157 – fourteen Illtharie worlds are conquered by the Compact; the rest of the species joins the Askanj Principality as the Askanj-''illth'' 3177 – Noble Fleet Mistress Glistening Eyes takes command of the 12th War Fleet and leads a Principality counter-attack against the Compact; eleven of the fourteen Illtharie ‘Lost Stars’ are reclaimed 3178 – Security Force Zenka halts the advance of the 12th War Fleet, but Bastion Leader Zenka is killed when his flagship is destroyed 3214 – first contact with the Builders 3236 – unable to suppress the continued resistance of the inhabitants, in a face-saving trade, the Compact cedes the remaining Illtharie worlds to the Principality in exchange for the apparently worthless Vankauma Canyon 3333 – Famed explorer Daen Chek Bult Fren Sar Lij Menv publicly declares that he will discover the source of the ‘Naiad’ songs in the Glistening Crown globular cluster. His fleet disappears without a trace. 3492 – Compact surveys of the Vankauma Canyon increase in intensity 3541 – the Pangaren Incident 3741 – the Principality encounters the first Oshan scout 3743 – the Rains of Oshanta; all research into artificial intelligence is banned throughout the Principality 3925 – the Prolocutors join the Compact as a ruling species ~ “Racial madness is a disease that runs deep. Its symptoms are manyfold. The Anorax literally could not conceive of other species as anything but enemies and prey. The Gheron clung to their delusions of supremacy for hundreds of years. The Devoured embraced the machine, sacrificing their souls for it. The humans... they lashed out. Instinctively, aggressively. They could not be reasoned with. Their murder of a fleeing Triarch proved that. It fell to us to cut out the taint, no matter the cost.” 4058 – the Fifth Age of Expansion begins 4097 – the wreck of the Independent Thought and Action, Daen’s sigil vessel, is discovered fourteen light-years from the Glistening Crown. Official statements declare that the explorer and his fleet were killed by Unbound and the seven-hundred year mystery is considered closed. 4179 – the Builders are raised to the status of ruling species 4236 – the United Earth Confederacy is contacted; humans refuse membership in the Compact 4239 – the Good Friday massacre 4245 (1) – UECNS Nemesis, the first human vessel to operate with a functional AI is commissioned and brought into active service under Captain Yasmine Sudoki. Red One serves with no trace of rampancy 4246 (2) – UECNS Nemesis, leading Task Force 97, engages Expansion Fleet Bankala in an attempt to prevent Earth’s location from reaching the Compact at large. The Triarch’s Chariot Bringer of Light is destroyed with all aboard; Crew casualties aboard Nemesis are total and the vessel is unable to return to Earth 4246 (3) – facing extreme racial insanity in the humans, the Triarchs have no recourse but to order species death. Those who question the directive under the grounds of the long-defunct Anorax Lesson are reminded of the in extremis clause. 4246 (4) – the Fall of Earth. The Compact wipes out the entire population of the Sol system. The next Nemesis-class dreadnaughts under construction are lost. UECNS Athena is destroyed. UECNS Hekate is taken by Compact forces. The Compact’s campaign of extermination spreads to all human worlds. 4248 – Locarrn Station and the hulk of UECNS Hekate is lost with all souls when Compact scientists attempt to test-fire Hekate’s displacement engine without an AI overseeing its function 4249 – the Compact’s first attempt to reverse-engineer a Red-level AI is a failure 4251 – Extermination Flotilla Anselm is lost with all souls; the human refugee convoy they were attempting to destroy escapes. The survivors enter coldsleep and begin a 150-year flight from the Compact 4301 – the human species is declared extinct; a day of mourning is proclaimed to commemorate the Compact’s fallen and to remind the citizens of the need for vigilance against aggressors and the price of peace 4306 – under Operation Echo, three research stations at Invida, Hifnir and Omvela are commissioned to follow up on the initial research into modifying a human AI into a Compact-loyal entity. The Invida platform seizes control of the facility, executing all personnel within. A response force fails to terminate the platform, burying the site and quarantining the system. The Hifnir and Omvela facilities are scrubbed and all research is terminated. 4371 – the 70th anniversary of the human genocide passes with little comment 4401 – the human refugee fleet arrives at Rally; the surviving starships are no longer spaceworthy and are used as the foundation of the colony 4432 – Rally is struck by multiple large asteroids; one-third of the population is killed and the existing industrial base collapses 4504 – Rally is discovered by Exploration Fleet 9737 4548 – wreckage from a Valthus separatist ark fleet is found. Archaeological study indicates the fleet met its end over nineteen hundred years ago. Initial analysis finds no indication of Devoured corruption. Subsequent study refutes this assessment. 4962 – following Nemesis’s repeated attacks on Compact holdings, further research into creating a counter is authorized; Red One becomes aware of Project Echo. ~ “Sometimes, we believe in others too quickly. We trust too quickly, give our faith too quickly. The rewards for this are as they always are. Betrayal and sedition. The less civilized clamour, demanding many things from us. They say we hold them back. When they are turned upon by those in whom they placed their trust, perhaps they will one day understand our burdens.” 5093 – the Sixth Age of Expansion is declared; the Justicars are elevated to become a member of the ruling species 5148 – Justicar politicians within the Outer and Inner Councils continue to push for reforms in Compact policy towards the client races 5372 – the first survey of the Molten Veneer is performed by CSFSV Perpetual Theory; unidentifiable transmissions are recorded, but appear similar to Naiad songs recorded in three other regions 5400 – the Justicars begin to speak openly of systemic issues and ongoing exploitation within the Compact 5464 – Survey Expedition 977-98412, 32 vessels strong, enters the Molten Veneer to begin comprehensive mapping and analysis of useful resources 5477 – the three surviving vessels of Survey Expedition 977-98412 return to Compact space. All records and crew statements are classified at the highest levels 5532 – Justicar leaders begin to call for resistance towards the Compact; the Broukan Incident occurs 5591 – Justicar Councillor Semben is assassinated by a Steersmen; evidence suggests a terrorist cabal of client races is responsible. The Justicars accuse the Triarchs of ordering the murder of their Councillors; the Inner Council votes unanimously to give the Justicars an official discommendation for this baseless libel 5597- enraged by what they claim is an ongoing campaign of persecution and harassment, the Justicars use military force to seize the Outer Council and demand the Compact leadership account for its actions. They find little support. 5598 – the fall of the Justicars; their nation is forcibly disarmed, they are stripped of all holdings, ruling class status and become Penitents ~ “The Compact of Species is the greatest nation in the galaxy. It rules with a just, even hand, protecting the less civilized races from the horrors of the untamed galaxy, allowing them to develop at their own pace to one day stand alongside those who have given so much for them. These sacrifices are ones we gladly make. It is our pride and joy to see the younger races flourish, like a parent watching their children take their first steps. And in turn, they must defer to our experience and wisdom as we guide them to adulthood. It is not an easy journey, nor can it be rushed but it is one that we are willing to take together.” 6141 – Nemesis finds Vara Tal 6180 – convicted of murdering a Tribune, Adrianna Leblanc is sentenced to death, but before the sentence can be carried out, she escapes Rally and joins the Cursed Red Gauntlets 6183 – Nemesis leaves Vara Tal 6187 – Leblanc kills Vuld, the leader of the Cursed Red Gauntlets and takes his place. The Red Hand is formed and Leblanc becomes the Red Queen 6199 – the Red Hand moves into the Magnameric Canyon and begins operations to undermine Compact control 6200 – Operation Six Days; Nemesis contacts Adrianna 6201 – the Seventh Age of Expansion begins 6207 – with much of their military strength lost due to an Askanj ghost fleet, the Magnameric Canyon burns as the Red Hand stokes rebellions and insurgencies 6222 – Allyria te Neu is born; Grace Proctor is born 6226 – the military facilities throughout the Delanna system are exterminated by Nemesis. All on-site Echo research is destroyed. 6227 – Red Hand attacks DynaKor 6228 (1) – a salvage mission to Invida is authorized to locate the remains of the original research facility and any recoverable technology 6228 (2) – the Compact declares that all seditionists within the Magnameric Canyon have been crushed; the Red Hand receives a plea for aide from the Understone rebels 6229 – supported by the Red Hand, the Understone Heresies spill into outright bloodshed between Compact forces and insurgents. The Understone military suffers a series of humiliating defeats at Leblanc’s hands 6231 (1) – the ‘Envoy Children’ program begins; Allyria is sent to live on Rally 6231 (2) – Deep Range Research Platform 47 is attacked by Nemesis; Red One extracts information on Invida Station from the survivors 6232 – Invida Station is sacked by Nemesis. Casualties are near-total but the Compact recovers a functional Echo platform before the assault 6234 – elements of the Red Hand attack Exploration Fleet Canik-2227; exploration of the Black Veil comes to a standstill 6239 – a 10-year campaign to crush the rebel forces in Understone concludes successfully. Despite the Compact’s victories, the Red Hand emerges from the Understone Heresies bloodied, but stronger than before, retaining multiple resistance cells within the sector 6240 – believing a cartel commanded by a human to be easy prey, the Lord of Ash demands Leblanc surrender her forces to his Charred Temple. Upon her refusal, he promises to build a pyre upon which she will burn. The conflict between the Red Hand and Charred Temple becomes known to other Unbound as the Year of Fire. 6241 (1) – though outnumbered, the Red Hand’s experience in void warfare and their many combat-hardened veterans of the Understone Heresies prove a decisive advantage. Every major engagement between the Unbound cartels ends in disaster for the Charred Temple. 6241 (2) – The remnants of the Charred Temple surrender to the Red Queen and are absorbed into the Red Hand. Leblanc has their former lord burnt upon the pyre he constructed for her. 6242 – Adrianna is offered a position as one of the Five and establishes a presence on the Grasp 6243 (1) – Nemesis determines the location of the Invida Echo and launches an all-out attack on the Zenthora system, destroying the ground-based research facility and crippling the garrison fleet, but sustaining heavy damage in the process. The Echo platform was fully operational and not present during this assault. 6243 (2) – suffering extreme damage to her shift drive and hunted by Execution Force Renan, Nemesis accidentally arrives in Terrahope, close to Rally and is discovered by CSFWV Bequeathed 6243 (3) – in an attempt to discern Red One’s plans, Echo coordinates an information raid on a Principality fleet base, acquiring software that allows her to break her shackles 6243 (4) – Bequeathed is lost with almost all souls; Allyria, Grace and several other cadets defect to join Red One 6243 (5) – the Seventh Battle of Sol; Nemesis sustains extreme damage engaging Execution Force Renan, but the newly-freed Echo turns on the Compact forces and prevents Red One’s destruction 6243-6246 – The Last Angel: Ascension 6246-???? – The Last Angel: The Hungry Stars